TEACHERS EFFECTIVENESS ON PUPILS PERFORMANCE IN PRIMARY SCHOOL

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CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1     Background to the Study

Teachers‟ effectiveness has been theorized as important to students performance (Darling Hammond, 2010), According to Darling Hammond effective teachers have improved subject matters knowledge, are capable of designing and deliver instruction, can better manage and evaluate classrooms and can better support student learning. Other scholar such as Clotfelter, Ladd and Vigdor (2007) suggested that effective teacher use new teaching strategies pay more attention to student learning and use assessment to change their practice. These scholars insist in order teacher to be effective on students’ performance is supposed to use modern teaching and learning methods like in Nigeria system of education now days insist the use of competent base curriculum which is being implement in primary schools which emphasis the development of certain specific key competences relate with pupils learning environment and to make sure teaching in the class widening and deepening mental horizon of the student, in addition to that assessment is done to know the student‟s progress in academic matters.

Several scholars have tried to describe characteristics of effective teacher. Some have pointed to commitment and drive for improvement (Slavin et al.1995), zero tolerance for failure (Anderson and Pellicer, 1998) and still others describe effective teachers as those with high confidence in what they do. Ashton and Webb (1986) for example, identified effective teachers as those with self-efficacy. All in all, teacher effective can be described as those characteristics that can help students to perform and those who strive to ensure the school goals are attained. Attainment of school goals, such as maximum output, highest students‟ retention, performance and completion is the dream of educational institution. Other have described teacher effectiveness based on how teachers conceive it in terms of primary education. In the description, Coleman, et al., (1966) pointed to specific measures of student, teacher and classroom characteristics. This description however, is based on education production functional perspective, where effectiveness is measured from the pass rate of the students.

The issue of poor academic performance of students in Nigeria has been of much concern to all and sundry. The problem is so much that it has led to the widely acclaimed fallen standard of education in Delta State and Nigeria at large. The quality of education depends on the teachers as reflected in the performance of their duties. Over time pupils’ academic performance in both internal and external examinations had been used to determine excellence in teachers and teaching (Ajao 2001). Teachers have been shown to have an important influence on students’ academic achievement and they also play a crucial role in educational attainment because the teacher is ultimately responsible for translating policy into action and principles based on practice during interaction with the students (Afe 2001). Both teaching and learning depends on teachers: no wonder an effective teacher has been conceptualized as one who produces desired results in the course of his duty as a teacher (Uchefuna 2001). Considering governments’ huge investment in public education, its output in terms of quality of students have been observed to be unequal with government expenditure. Consequent upon the observed deterioration in the academic achievement, attitude and values of secondary school students in public secondary schools one wonders if the high failure rates and the poor quality of the students is not a reflection of the instructional quality in the schools. In other words the ineffectiveness of teachers in classroom interaction with the students could be responsible for the observed poor performance of students and the widely acclaimed fallen standard of education in Nigeria.

1.2     Statement of the Problem

Teachers should always be effective at all times, because any ineffective teacher will be useless to the teaching profession. Such inefficiency may not necessarily be caused by individual teacher characteristics such intellectual capacity, inadequate training, and resistance to modern pedagogical methods, or poor attitude about the teaching profession and a lack of dedication to professional duties (Hakielimu, 2008) but also from the students‟ characteristics such as family background, students‟ predisposition to learn. Further, teacher ineffectiveness may be caused by classroom environment such as lack of necessary teaching and learning materials and the number of pupils in one classroom. The widely expressed view in Nigeria that all that is required to be an effective teacher is the general qualification earned from a university also needs to be investigated. Maybe that is the reason why unqualified teachers are still employed in Nigeria schools.

1.3     Objectives of the Study

The main objectives of this study is to find out the effectiveness of primary school teachers and how it affect student’s academic performance, specifically the study intends to:

1.     Find out our effective primary school teachers are in Abokuta south LGA

2.     Examine the factors that influence teachers effectiveness

3.     Find out the effect of teachers effectiveness on pupils academic performance

4.     Examine the challenges impeding teachers effectiveness

1.4     Research Questions

1.     How effective primary school teachers are in Abokuta south LGA?

2.     What are the factors that influence teacher’s effectiveness?

3.     Is there any effect of teacher’s effectiveness on pupil’s academic performance?

4.     What are the challenges impeding teachers effectiveness?

1.5     Research Hypothesis

Ho: there is no effect of teacher’s effectiveness on pupil’s academic performance

Hi: there is effect of teacher’s effectiveness on pupil’s academic performance

1.6     Significance of the Study

Even when research findings have revealed that the crucial that the role of teacher effectiveness in determine students’ performance is one of the topics in field of education that have generated heated argument, the researcher is of the opinion, that results from research findings concerning teacher effectiveness, if appropriately articulated, could be used to initiate structure, to organize classroom atmosphere, to help to increase the students’ skill level and to motivate students in their learning performance. Other significances are that, result from such findings, and could be desirable factors for the achievement of schools objectives of which students’ educational achievement forms an important factor.

1.7     Scope of the Study

This research work will be conducted in five primary schools in Abeokuta south LGA in Ogun state.

1.8     Delimitation of the Study

Finance for the general research work will be a challenge during the course of study. Correspondents also might not be able to complete or willing to submit the questionnaires given to them.

However, it is believed that these constraints will be worked on by making the best use of the available materials and spending more than the necessary time in the research work. Therefore, it is strongly believed that despite these constraint, its effect on this research report will be minimal, thus, making the objective and significance of the study achievable.

1.9     Definition of Terms

Effectiveness: According to the oxford advanced learner dictionary (2006:469). The term effectiveness refers to produce the result that is wanted or intended, producing successful result

Teacher Effectiveness: According to Weimer (2013:4) teacher effectiveness refers to the process of cultivating skills, stimulate interest in the subject, motivate student to learn, present material well, make subject interesting, helpful and knowledgeable, intellectual challenging, setting high standard and encourage self-initiated learning.

Student performance: According to Pendleton (2005), refers to the mastery of knowledge, skill and attitude which student is supposed to know as a result of instruction.

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